The Monster
by SilverontheRose
Summary: If the monsters in your life are destroyed, what does that make their destroyer? BellaxEdward, mention of Sesshoumaru.


I do not own Twilight or Inuyasha, I'm just throwing them in a pot and letting them duke it out.

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Prologue

When you are a child, you are scared of the monsters under the bed or in the closet. But most of the time, mom or dad will come in and scare them away so you can sleep in safety.

Then you become an adult and find out that the monsters aren't under the bed, but are living in the world with you. And there's no one who can scare them away anymore. The can of Monster-Be-Gone is just air freshener with a homemade label.

At least, that's what I thought. But now I wonder. If the scariest monster in your life is killed, does that make the killer a bigger, scarier monster?

Or would that make them a protector?

* * *

The Monster

We were setting up our new house in Alaska in late summer, nine and a half years after our confrontation with the Volturi. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were going to do the whole high school thing again, but I didn't feel up to it. My daughter had gotten her way, like she always did, and had married Jacob in the spring.

Edward and I both felt the loss heavily.

There was no one humming her father's songs as she did dishes, no new paintings suddenly appearing on the walls, no more long, rippling curls to detangle after her bath.

I was finding out the hard way that vampires don't do well with change.

The melancholy that swept over the both of us worried our family, especially Esme. So, in an effort to mourn privately and not worry her as much, when it came time to start another life we decided to live on our own for a while. Edward built us a cabin high up in the mountains where only the most idiotic of human adventurers go, and we set out to learn what it was like to live alone for the first time in our lives. No parents just a thought away or nosy siblings popping over unannounced.

I smiled. Yes, I missed them, especially Nessie, but having Edward to myself brought me absolute joy.

My morning had been spent opening boxes of brand new stuff we had bought for the cabin. Thanks to vampire speed, what would have been several day's work for a human was finished before noon. I took a critical look around the living room. I was much better with decorating now, even if the experience had been gained kicking and screaming. Alice was another one of our family who always got what she wanted.

I sighed moodily. Better, yes... but not as good as Alice or Esme. Everything matched and was spotless, I could say that much. I could always claim the rugged look complimented our little log cabin.

Lost in my critique of the room, I was taken completely by surprise when a hello rang out in the clearing in front of our place. Only our family knew where the cabin was and, despite how far nomads ranged, there weren't any towns in over a hundred and fifty miles. It was highly unlikely someone had just stumbled across us. Edward ducked out the door, a strange look on his face.

I followed, wondering what could have shocked him so.

The vampire waiting for us outside was a mess. His hair was shaggy, clothes threadbare and ripped, feet bare. His red eyes were wary, keeping track of both of us. I wondered, passingly, how someone could spend their eternity in such such a state.

"A messenger," Edward whispered in that quick, trilling voice we all share when we aren't trying to pass as human. "Carlisle and Esme sent him."

"Word has gone out around the world." the stranger said. "The Volturi are dead: the court, guards, wives, even the civilians. From the eldest to the youngest, all were killed, their bodies destroyed with an unknown caustic chemical."

I sagged against Edward. _Is this the relief children feel when mom and dad come and scare the monsters away?_ I wondered. _Was it terrible that such wide-scale destruction brought me nothing but joy?_

No, I decided just as quickly. The Volturi had been a threat to my family. And it wasn't just joy I felt. Under the sudden relief was fear. Did this mean our existence was no longer a secret? Did we need to worry about being hunted? No matter my feelings toward them, the Volturi were incredibly strong and had over three millennia of experience. Who or what could have been strong enough to destroy them?

I hadn't realized I asked the last part out loud until the nomad answered me.

"An Asian man came looking for a missing tourist. We believe she was part of a Japanese tour group brought in earlier. He looked like a human, but somehow was able to unerringly follow her every move. It led him straight to the court."

Edward frowned. "You said he looked like a human..."

The nomad nodded. "From the report, he did at first. But as soon as he was challenged, his appearance changed into a male with long silver hair and tattoos on his face. He came at them empty-handed at first, but when Jane attacked he manifested a psychic whip that left behind massive burns. At that point, several members of the guard started to evacuate Aro, Caius, and Marcus. It seemed to infuriate the assassin. He drew a sword that cut through their bodies as easily as if they were human, and kept devouring flesh long after it was withdrawn. From that point on, it was a slaughter. No one could get close to him, and their abilities didn't even slow him down. Not even Renata was able to turn him aside.

"Felix was the only one spared from complete destruction, although he begged for death afterwards. He claims that after the massacre, the assassin changed into a white dog who was so large his head blotted out the moon. In this guise, he trampled the city, digging out all survivors and killing them. The tale is so absurd, many believe him mad. But Volterra _is_ rubble now. No two stones were left together.

"Felix did not understand the language the assassin spoke, but as he left he told Felix in English that he will kill any _youma_ that crosses his path. _Youma_, we have been told, refers to us. We ask that you tell this to any vampire you meet, so that no one is taken by surprise. The elders that did not reside in Volterra have formed an interim council and have decreed that our kind stay away from Asia until further notice."

"Thank you for bringing us this news," Edward told him. "I know you had to go out of your way to find us."

The nomad nodded, "Thank your coven, no one would have known you were here if not for them." With that, he swiftly disappeared into the trees.

I couldn't believe it. Edward, Alice, Renesmee, even me... we were free. Aro, the collector, was dead.

I looked into Edward's warm, _happy_ golden gaze. The worry that had dug at him for so long was gone.

"Free," we whispered to each other.

That night as Edward and I curled up together, I wished I could thank the stranger who killed the monsters that haunted me. Maybe someday... one far in the future, after time dulls memory I will.

As long as there's a dark moon and a fast escape route.

* * *

No, _youma_ doesn't mean vampire. That's _kuketsuki_. But vampires are a type of _youma_. This is a oneshot, so don't bother looking for more chapters here. That's still in the pot and will be posted if it ever comes together.

Happy 2013!


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